Quite interesting, did any of us old-school Star Wars Fans ever hear or read any official explanation of what the Clone Wars were all about (other then there being Clones involved) before the Prequel movies were ever released?

Several pre-PT sources cite the Jedi defeating the "mysterious" Mandalorian warriors during the Clone Wars, including the ESB novelization and The Galactic Empire Scrapbook. Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy made reference to insane clones created via Spaarti cloning technology attacking the Old Republic. Issue #24 of the Marvel comics is a flashback story about Obi-Wan that takes place during the Clone Wars. Garris Shrike's ship in the Han Solo trilogy is said to be a relic of the Clone Wars, although I can't recall that kind of ship ever appearing in later Clone Wars media.

Initially the idea the floated around was that it was a serious of wars (they are Clone Wars after all) fought by the Republic against Clone Masters and their insane clone forces, during which the Empire would be formed and Palpatine come to power (yes initially we had other Emperors before Palpatine ) who would then wipe out the Jedi.

Actually Mandalorian Protectors (another splitter group) led by an insane Elite Clones who thought he was the Mandalore and true heir to Jango and thus joined with the Seps. Palpatine led them into a trap and had them butchered by Jedi, Clone Troopers and the Ailon Nova Guard. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mission_to_Norval_II

Yeah it should be pointed out that the context of that image the OP posted has been retconned to be an insane clone trooper named Spar (who all the Mandalorians thought was Jango's son) being hired by Palpatine to kidnap Padmé.

Even before AOTC came out, Leland Chee established that the22-19 BBY Clone Wars were the only Clone War. This was when the Stark Hyperspace War comic was announced, and some people were theorizing that it was going to be the first of the (multiple) Clone Wars.

Even before AOTC came out, Leland Chee established that the22-19 BBY Clone Wars were the only Clone War. This was when the Stark Hyperspace War comic was announced, and some people were theorizing that it was going to be the first of the (multiple) Clone Wars.

The SHW comic was pretty good I thought. I don't know the timeline of when all the behind the scenes stuff was announced so thank you for that. Though going into Episode 1 with something like this would be interesting. 20 years years the First Clone War ended. A Warlord Maul or Grievous attacked the Republic at the behest of the Cloners. The war ended as a stalemate and a Cold War has settled upon the Galaxy. Soon war will erupt on a world that will drag the whole Galaxy into the 2nd Clone War. A 3rd one will pop up but be smaller and after the Empire came to power but failed.

I always assumed they came to be called the Clone Wars simply because of the unprecedented scale and scope of the conflict. There were so many different theaters on so many different planets with different regional sub-conflicts and historical fault lines between local factions that it really did make more sense to think of the conflict as a whole collection of wars taking place concurrently.

Note that at the very start of the war in AotC Yoda simply refers to the coming conflict as the singular Clone War, perhaps not fully anticipating how out-of-control things would become.

I always assumed they came to be called the Clone Wars simply because of the unprecedented scale and scope of the conflict.

Yeah, that's pretty much all I've come to treat it as too. You've got your main Republic vs Seppies conflict, but then all the other wars breaking out at the same time, all of which simply end up involving clones too -- look at half the TCW episodes, they don't exactly have the fate of the galaxy in the balance, but are regional spats between Black Sun or Mandalore or Hutt clans or whatever.

That aside, wasn't there once some attempt to explain it as referring to the Post-ROTS conflicts in one of the Battlefront games when some Kaminoan cloners went rogue and clones started fighting against the Empire or something?

the atlas and especially warfare guide also with maps show wars post-ROTS that could easily turn into the Second or Third Clone War if taken together. And I always favored to split the actual Clone Wars into two with peacetalks and cease fire in the middle before it all goes to hell again soon thereafter with talks failing of course.. we got a Seppie senate, lets use it goddammit!

Yeah, there was very little to actually go on in regards to the Clone Wars. However, WEG did make the occasional reference (without providing any details), and there were EU references all the way back to Han Solo's Revenge, which mentioned the restrictions into genetic research due to the wars.

Thinking back on other early mentions of the Clone Wars, I believe the backstory in the original X-Wing computer game manual included a brief overview of the Clone Wars, where they ended decades prior to the creation of the Empire and where Palpatine became president only after their end.

That aside, wasn't there once some attempt to explain it as referring to the Post-ROTS conflicts in one of the Battlefront games when some Kaminoan cloners went rogue and clones started fighting against the Empire or something?

From Battlefront II, where Fett helps the Empire put down the anti-Imperial clone uprising. However, as far as I remember the concept of that being "one of the Clone Wars" is entirely a fan concept, unless I missed some sourcebook stating otherwise.

Yeah, there was very little to actually go on in regards to the Clone Wars. However, WEG did make the occasional reference (without providing any details), and there were EU references all the way back to Han Solo's Revenge, which mentioned the restrictions into genetic research due to the wars.

I think the WEG Han Solo sourcebook even includes a mention of the "Outer Rim Wars" from before the creation of the Empire, which seems like an easily-retconnable first reference to the Outer Rim Sieges.

I think the WEG Han Solo sourcebook even includes a mention of the "Outer Rim Wars" from before the creation of the Empire, which seems like an easily-retconnable first reference to the Outer Rim Sieges.

Yep, the old Corporate Sector SB - listing Trooper Badure's postings. (I believe a Twi'lek Spice War was also mentioned).

That aside, wasn't there once some attempt to explain it as referring to the Post-ROTS conflicts in one of the Battlefront games when some Kaminoan cloners went rogue and clones started fighting against the Empire or something?

As far as the game goes, I'm pretty sure it was just a way to have a badass clone vs. clone scenario fit into a canon storyline.

It wouldn't make much sense to call that another Clone War, it was pretty clearly one relatively brief battle on one planet.

one can always combine the Jedi Purge, the separatist and loyalist insurgencies and holdouts after ROTS as well as other cleanup operations for 3 years into the second clone war as warfare guide hints at all but in name!

though I'd still prefer a cut in middle of the clone wars we know and have them be split into two major clone wars.

then again we got mini events like the Kaminoans going rogue with antiimperial clones much later or the droid armies being reactivated on some planets only.. that are not connected yet. but one might if creative enough

I think the WEG Han Solo sourcebook even includes a mention of the "Outer Rim Wars" from before the creation of the Empire, which seems like an easily-retconnable first reference to the Outer Rim Sieges.

Yep, the old Corporate Sector SB - listing Trooper Badure's postings. (I believe a Twi'lek Spice War was also mentioned).

It could be a reference to the events surrounding Quinlan Vos' memory wipe.

As an aside, I was just skimming through the Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook and found this:

[quote="Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook]Afyon was a young man during the Clone Wars, answering the call to arms along with most of the ablebodied men and women of his homeworld of Alderaan.
He followed the charismatic Bail Organa of Alderaan's beloved Royal Family to war and back, never turning away from the ideals or principals he believed in. When the wars finally ended, he came home and supported Organa's bid to turn Alderaan's war economy into a movement for peace. For many years, that movement succeeded.[/quote]

Erm... have we seen any of this? I can't recall... though I've not read all of the post-AotC Clone Wars literature yet. Anyone?

Alderaan's disarmament? Not that I recall -- it was a big thing in the X-wing books too, but I haven't seen it talked up in post-AOTC materials. Then again, I'm very far from a Clone Wars guru since I haven't read 90% of the recent stuff about it Recent being defined as things released in the last ten years, of course.

Re: President Palpatine -- yeah, as Brule notes, the Farlander Papers made a deal about them. Really, President was the default title used in EU until TPM. That's why Mothma was referred to as President sometimes (and only Chief of State during the post-ROTJ EU, not OT EU) and Leia on occasion too. But yeah, it was always ever President of the Senate iirc.

As for CW references -- a lot of warship designs were described as aging, Clone Wars era things. Dreadnaughts and VSD-Is come to mind.

Alderaan is one of those weird things that suddenly changed post-Clone Wars - now Alderaan has always been a pacifist world; in fact, in the General Grievous LS, Alderaan doesn't even have a defensive force.

Fortunately, the recent EGTW has made it clear that's nonsense, considering that Alderaan was the HQ for the Republic's 4th Army during the war.